Drowning Deep Inside Your Sound
by KhaosTheory33
Summary: E.N.D was never meant to die and so when young Natsu falls ill the seal on her powers is fractured, and her memories start leaking out. Zeref never accounted for his sister remembering him or for her cocky mate. Now he just has to decide on the best way to kill a poison dragon slayer. FemNatsuXCobra


**AN: Insert generic disclaimer here. I had a dream and now you have part of a story. The rest is still being written so bare with me and let me know what you think so far. FemNatsuXCobra**

Drowning Deep Inside Your Sound

Prologue

A weak cough sounded in the cave waking Igneel from his restless sleep. He turned his large head to observe Natsu as she wheezed, desperately trying to catch her breath. At first it was only a slight chill, unusual for a fire dragon slayer, but Igneel thought it might be related to coming through the gate. Then came the coughing and wheezing, and now with the fever and her constant pain he was really starting to worry. Igneel wondered if he should try and find Zeref to help, but he didn't want to leave Natsu alone. A sudden silence fell upon the cave and terror chilled Igneel to his bones. Paleness had spread across Natsu's face, a vast contrast from the fever induced flush of before, and as he looked closer he could see she had stopped breathing completely.

"No," Igneel whispered into the silence a cold dread creeping upon his soul. "Natsu!" he roared into the night shaking the cave around them causing rocks to come crashing down from the ceiling. He couldn't believe it after everything they had gone through together, and all the obstacles she had overcome. _No, she can't be dead Zeref had made sure of it_ he argued with himself. But he had also sealed all that power away, with her memories. A river of tears started to make a path down his muzzle. Natsu had been his friend and then his daughter. She was the single most important thing in his existence. She came before everything even that corrupt dragon slayer, he couldn't lose her now.

"Daddy?" a whisper as faint as a gust of wind came from the back of the cave. Barely daring to hope Igneel turned his head towards the voice. Natsu blinked up at him her head tilted in a questioning manner. She was alive his little girl was alive and looking better than she had in days. Igneel could scarcely believe it. Yes she still looked weak, however her skin looked healthier and her breathing was deeper, stronger. Joy started to burst from his chest, and a grin spread across his jaws showing his fangs.

"Natsu, how are you feeling?" he asked hoping that finally things would go right. She looked around as if confused.

"Okay, a little tired and hungry though." She answered absently still looking around with a frown spreading across her face. Finally turning back to her dragon father she tilted her head and asked a question that shocked Igneel to his core. "Daddy where is Zeref-nii?"

Natsu was walking back from her latest job, glad to not be stuck on a train. She was on her own this time having left a sick Happy with Mira. She was nearing a divergence in the path, when she caught a faint smell in the air. It smelled like the woods near Igneel's cave, and something almost spicy.

Curiosity getting the better of her she turned to follow it off the path. The scent got stronger as she approached a clearing in the middle of the woods. Lounging under a tree at the edge of the clearing was a slim man around her age with maroon hair. The intoxicating smell was starting to drive her crazy when the wind changed carrying her scent towards the man. Stiffening his slit purple eyes snapped open locking onto Natsu's own onyx ones. Jumping to his feet a deep growl burst from his chest, all while crouching, ready to pounce. Like a flood of fire rushing through her veins her Instincts took over, and she mirrored his position. Within the blink of an eye they charged each other. Within a few blows it was apparent he was faster and stronger than her. Although she had technique and flexibility on her side it was obvious the man was going to beat her at non-magical combat. However not one to give up she snarled fiercely charging one of her signature moves flames engulfing her right hand.

"Fire dragon iron fist!"

Not phased in the least he dodged and opposed with his own move. As the battle grew more intense, and exhaustion set in the man released a "poison dragon roar" and purple fumes burst from his mouth. Natsu quickly countered with a "fire dragon roar" the two attacks of poison and fire met creating a massive explosion.

Natsu was thrown back hitting her head hard on a rock. While she was disoriented, the man tackled her and pinned her to the ground. Thrashing back and forth she tried to dislodge him, only for him to growl and tighten his grip. Trying one last time to get him off her, she finally started to relax and bared her throat a small whine escaping her mouth. Seeing that she finally submitted the man leaned in and bit the junction between her neck and shoulder. Feeling the pain she reciprocated the bite. Like a wave of cool water her instincts finally calmed down and the significance of what just happened sunk in.

 _Never thought he'd be a dragon slayer_ Natsu thought as she looked over at the man who was lying next to her trying to catch his own breath after their fight.

"Natsu," she said at last breaking into his thoughts. He just stared back at her as if she were the strangest creature he had ever come across. "My name is Natsu," she tried again hoping to elicit some type of response from the male. As he continued to stare at her, she started to get angry at the man for ignoring her. She huffed sitting up while thinking _the least he could do is give me his name especially after what just happened._

"And what just happened?" spinning toward the man Natsu was startled by the sudden response.

"Well I gave you my name" she started only to be cut off with a growl from the man as he got to his feet looming over her.

"I meant the fight and…" he snarled gesturing to the fresh mark on her shoulder.

Not one to be intimidated Natsu rose to her feet as well. _Geeze he is crankier than Niisan was after Igneel and I destroyed that one village._ Natsu pondered on whether the man's face would turn the same color as his hair if he got angry enough.

Grabbing her by the vest the man leaned in close and growled dangerously low "No my face would not match my hair. Now what. Just. Happened!"

By now Natsu was getting confused, he was a dragon slayer wasn't he? He did react on instinct same as her, so why wouldn't he know what happened. Didn't his dragon parent tell him about the instincts that come with being a dragon slayer?

Her thoughts were once again interrupted by the man "How did you know I was a dragon slayer, what instincts, and there is no such thing as dragons." The last part was said in such a condescending tone that Natsu bristled with anger.

Deciding to ignore the infuriating man she began to look around, at what was left of the clearing, for her scarf. Sometime during the fight it had fallen off, turning around, she spotted it a few feet away. _At least my bandages didn't come unraveled_ she thought as she bent to pick it up. Turning back around to the man she thought she saw a faint blush dusting his cheeks, but dismissed the idea.

"Are you going to tell me what happened?" the man asked exasperated with her silence.

"I don't know are you going to give me your name?" she fired back just as aggravated as before. _Can't believe I'm stuck with this guy as my mate, at least Happy isn't here he'd make this so much worse, s_ he thought. Wondering how long this would take, she considered just dragging him to Cait Shelter. Then she could explain to Wendy at the same time. Come to think of it she hadn't seen any of the other slayers in a while.

"Mate? What do you mean?" He asked startled, interrupting her wandering thoughts on possibly hunting down Gajeel for a spar.

Surprised by the question and his apparent lack of knowledge, Natsu rounded on the man. "How can you be a dragon slayer and not have been taught the basics, or better yet not believe in dragons? Who taught you? How did you even get your magic if not from a dragon?" The questions flowed from her like a waterfall. Not even waiting for an answer Natsu turned from the man, mumbling on about stupid ignorant mates, and started walking in the direction of Cait Shelter. Recovering from his shock the man growled and grabbed Natsu before she could get far.

Spinning her around he demanded once again "What happened!"

Fed up with the situation at large Natsu decided to answer at least some of the slanted eyed jerks questions. "The mating ritual that every dragon or dragon slayer goes through. Our magic decides who it believes the best mate is for us and then our instincts take over."

"What do you mean mating ritual, what does being a mate entail?" he enquired seemingly to have started to calm down, but Natsu doubted that would last long. She could already feel the bond beginning to form and a faint sense of the man's emotions drifting through.

Exasperated Natsu threw her hands in the air exclaiming "Don't you know anything about being a dragon slayer! How did you even get the magic?"

Growling slightly at her once again avoiding his questions he actually responded "I had a Lacrima put inside me."

Taken aback for a moment Natsu groaned "Great you're like Laxus, a wannabe dragon slayer."


End file.
